French Design Duo Transforms Luxury-Industry Waste into Certified Biomaterials

In a workshop north of Tours in central France, the design duo Hors-Studio is developing a set of biomaterials that challenge the traditional boundaries between craft, industrial design and sustainable manufacturing. Founded in 2016 by designers Rebecca Fezard and Elodie Michaud, the studio focuses on transforming waste from the luxury and food industries into new materials suitable for interiors, objects and potentially architectural applications.

Working from a 270 square meter space in the commune of Neuvy-le-Roi, the two designers experiment with leather offcuts, shredded bank notes, discarded textiles, oyster shells and sawdust. Their goal is to repurpose abundant waste streams and convert them into new material families that can replace carbon-intensive or resource-heavy products typically used in design and construction.

Leatherstone: Creating a New Material Category

One of their most recognised innovations is a material known as Leatherstone, a registered composite made primarily from leather scraps bound with natural biodegradable binders. When cured, the material takes on a mineral-like texture and appearance. This quality allows designers and architects to use it in ways that resemble stone or ceramic components while maintaining a lower environmental footprint.

France’s luxury industry alone generates an estimated 15,000 tonnes of leather waste per year. Much of it is either incinerated or sent to landfill due to contamination, irregular shapes or mixed-material composition. By diverting this waste into a circular-material pipeline, Hors-Studio demonstrates a pathway that could reduce both disposal impacts and the demand for new virgin materials.

Design Prototypes: Explore Functional Applications

The duo has already produced a catalogue of pieces showcasing how the material behaves under different forms and finishes. These include an armchair coated in Leatherstone to resemble a fossil-like shell, a restaurant bar counter with a hybrid wood and Leatherstone surface, a sculptural coffee table carved from a rectangular Leatherstone block and a side table using lab-grade glass cylinders filled with stratified leather residues. These prototypes illustrate how the material can be integrated into functional interiors and commercial spaces.

Collaboration with Research Institutions

Although their work appears artisanal, it is rooted in structured material research. The team collaborates with scientific partners, including chemistry researchers at the University of Tours, to test natural adhesive systems such as binders derived from the fibrous byssus threads produced by mussels. These tests aim to improve water resistance, strengthen the internal structure of the composites and gather performance data needed for future technical certification.

Certification is a critical step for any biomaterial seeking entry into architectural or large-scale industrial markets. Standards relating to fire resistance, structural integrity, thermal behaviour and toxicity must be met before such materials can be specified in professional construction contexts. Hors-Studio is currently navigating this pathway with the long-term goal of making Leatherstone and related composites available to manufacturers, designers and construction professionals.

Low-Tech Production and Local Sourcing

A defining feature of the studio’s approach is its reliance on low-tech, small-batch techniques. Rather than adopt industrial automation or high-energy processing, the designers purposefully use local resources and methods that minimise energy use. This philosophy fits within broader European strategies promoting regional circular economies and shorter supply chains. It also reflects a growing movement among designers who aim to reconnect material production with craft and locality.

However, this approach presents challenges. Small-scale production cannot yet meet the volumes required by major design and construction markets. Certification processes require extensive testing and financial investment. The natural variability of waste-derived materials also makes standardisation more complex than conventional industrial products. The designers note that scaling up will eventually require partnerships with manufacturers while preserving the ecological integrity of the materials.

Relevance for the Net-Zero Transition

For sustainability professionals, architects and industrial stakeholders, Hors-Studio’s work carries broader implications.

1. Waste Diversion as a Resource Strategy: Their work represents a practical model for converting problematic waste streams into high-value materials. In sectors like fashion and luxury goods, where waste volumes are high and often underutilised, such pathways can reduce environmental burdens while creating new material markets.

2. Low-Carbon Alternatives for Building Materials: As more jurisdictions require reporting on embodied carbon in buildings, waste-derived biomaterials can play a role in reducing emissions associated with construction. If certified for interior or exterior applications, materials like Leatherstone could serve as substitutes for stone, concrete or engineered composites that have higher carbon footprints.

3. Cross-Sector Collaboration Accelerates Innovation: The blending of design intuition, craft knowledge and scientific testing offers a template for how new materials emerge. Partnerships between small studios, universities and manufacturers will likely be essential to accelerate the adoption of sustainable materials.

4. Regional Circular Economies Reduce Environmental Impacts: By sourcing materials from local industries and applying low-energy processes, the studio contributes to a more resilient regional production ecosystem. This approach aligns with policy discussions around circularity, supply-chain resilience and ecological design standards.

Outlook: Small Studios Influencing Large Transitions

Although still in an early development phase, Hors-Studio’s work signals an important direction for sustainable material innovation. It demonstrates how small design practices can influence industry-wide sustainability frameworks when they combine creativity with environmental pragmatism.

As global net-zero goals push industries to adopt low-carbon materials and reduce waste, experiments like those emerging from this small workshop near Tours may help redefine how materials are sourced, processed and valued in the decades ahead.

Source: www.lemonde.fr